Biography:

Pauline Marie Jegley married her true love and life partner, Lawrence H. Jegley, on February 2, 1952. Born to Ralph Emerson Trees and Anna Nort Trees on June 1, 1931, in Clermont County Ohio, she embarked on a teaching career after graduating from high school at age 16 and was the ultimate teacher until the angels who walked with her through life took her to her Lord on January 13, 2026.

Everyone who encountered her came away with more. She was always teaching with unconditional love for all and heartfelt devotion, and she educated thousands of kids in history, government, math and civics, closing out her career as principal at Holy Souls and Saint Teresa’s and Good Counsel. She remembered every child she taught and remembered something special about each one.

An avid competitor, Pauline, always strove to win, be it at fishing, cards, and board games. She, unlike most, did not automatically allow her grandkids and great grandkids to win a game, believing that they did not learn from a shallow win. She understood life and wanted her offspring to have a proper understanding of it as well.

Flowers, birds, art, china painting, and creating were her unlimited passions, and she had a wide and deep intellectual curiosity about everything she encountered. Pauline studied genealogy her whole life and documented her findings by publishing family history compilations on the various components of the family. Her children from Holy Souls will always remember performing for the Bicentennial at Robinson Auditorium in her history lesson entitled “Arkansas, My Arkansas!” where every member of the student body had a role on the big stage. She wrote and directed the entire show. Her story telling will remain the stuff of legend, as will her lifetime of devotion and partnership to her true soulmate, “Big” Larry.

Preceded in death by her beloved son-in-law, Gary Korte (Paula), Pauline is survived by her dear husband Larry, and her special dog “Babygirl”, her six children, Larry (Angela), Jane Ann Calhoun (Carl), Debbie Korte (Danny), Paula Korte, Lisa Ryder and Susan Jegley (Mike McAlister). It must be noted that she was kept and cared for through her recent health tribulations over the years by Debbie and Susan, whose devotion to her kept her for all of us until the end.

“Nana” is also survived by her twenty-four grandchildren and thirty-two great grandchildren to each of whom she left a wealth of love, and each of whom she knew and understood down to their very souls.

Pauline’s amazing life and marriage will be celebrated with a rosary Sunday, January 18, 2026, at four p.m. at Ruebel Funeral Home, followed by a visitation. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, January 19, at one p.m. at her beloved Our Lady of the Holy Souls Catholic Church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Holy Souls or Mount Saint Mary’s Academy. Arrangements are under the direction of RuebelFuneralHome.com